Journal of Knowledge & Health9420140921Bilaterl Substantia Nigra Pars Compacta-Lesioned as a Model for Memory Impairment of Parkinson's Disease in Rats41141110.1234/knh.v0i0.411PERSIANRasoulArashpour. rasol529@gmail.comMohammadTaghi GhorbanianMaryamHaji Ghasem KashaniTaghiLashkarboloukiMahdiehTamadoni201312042014021820140110Introduction: Long ago, only the movement disorder of Parkinson's disease( PD) was considered by researchers, but non-motor symptoms such as cognitive and memory disorder precedes the clinical symptoms. In the present study, a 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) rat memory impairment model of PD was used to investigate in vivo production of oxidative stress and memory disorder.Methods: 6-OHDA (6μg/2μl of saline) was bilaterally injected in the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNC).The sham-operated rats were injected with saline. Spatial memory was evaluated in morris water maze (MWM). 6 days after neurosurgery the rats were killed and hippocampal tissues were separated on an ice-cold surface. Analysis of superoxid dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and catalase (CAT) activity were performed.Results: There was no significant difference in total traveled distance between groups therefore, injured animals had no problem in movement. There was also a significant increase in the escape latency in lesioned group as compared to the sham (P<0.000). The time spent in quadrant target zone of injured rats was significantly shorter than  sham rats (P<0.002). One way ANOVA analyses showed a significant reduction in SOD antioxidant activity in the hippocampus of injured rats as compared to sham (P<0.05). Moreover this reduction was not significant in GPX and CAT enzymes.Conclusion: Bilaterl substantia nigra pars compacta-lesioned as a model in early phase of Parkinson's disease would allow us to test new neuroprotective agents and treatment strategies .